2027: Register us or face court action, AAP tells INEC

2026-02-07 - 18:19

*Alleges double standards in party approvals By Luminous Jannamike ABUJA — The African Alliance Party (AAP) has demanded its immediate registration as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that it will head to court if the commission fails to act, while accusing the electoral body of applying double standards in the approval of political associations ahead of the 2027 general elections. The demand was contained in a statement on Saturday by Alh. Abubakar Sadiq, National Publicity Secretary of the political association. The party recalled that INEC’s Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, published a list of 14 pre-qualified political associations, including AAP, out of 171 applications received, after which interim chairmen and secretaries were invited to a briefing at the commission’s headquarters. AAP said the commission subsequently opened a portal for the upload of required documents, noting that INEC later confirmed that eight of the 14 associations, including AAP, successfully completed the submission process. “It is clear that we met all the requirements for registration as a political party, and was ‘unlawfully’ removed by INEC. This injustice shall not stand. It is a calculated assault on the nation’s democracy,” he said. Sadiq also cited media reports which indicated that only two political associations, AAP and the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), were cleared for the final stage of registration, insisting that subsequent developments represented what it described as a policy reversal capable of narrowing the political space ahead of the next elections. “AAP demands immediate registration as a political party by INEC or face legal action,” they declared. The political group further questioned the basis for the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging that the association did not participate in the documented registration process. “The integrity of INEC is at stake. It’s double-standard is glaring in registering the purported Nigeria Democratic Congress that didn’t participate in the registration process nor listed on the INEC’s website and other official platforms for public information. On what criterion was NDC registered?” they said. Reaffirming its intention to challenge the matter legally, the party expressed confidence in the judiciary.